Hi Gang
Does anyone know of someone who teaches how to make dichroic glass
cabochons? Preferably in Canada or in the upper North Western States
(Idaho, Montana, Washington, Oregon). We have tried locally but so
far only bead makers and we would like to specifically make
cabochons. I already do enamelling so have the equipment, and my
husband is interested in making these so I can set them. I am just
interested to know how.
Thanks
Karen Bahr - Karen’s Artworx
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Karen, go to warmglass.com
There’s a jewelry forum with plenty of in the archives,
and if you still have questions, you can start a thread.
After that, just experiment. You don’t want to look like everyone
else.
Nancy Goodenough
Karen, I second the advice to check out warmglass.com. It is
definitely doable to teach yourself with the assistance of a good
book - I make dichroic cabs and I have two basic methods. One is to
lay up each cab individually with little squares of glass… a base
layer, one or two dichro layers, and a cap layer, and then bring to
full fuse. The second (which I prefer for depth) is to lay up a slab
with a lot of little pieces of different colors/textures and several
layers, fuse it, cut it into small squares, shape the cabs on a flat
lap, and then either bring them up to firepolish temp in the kiln, or
toss them in the tumbler with some medium grit to soften the edges
and give them a frosted finish.
Also, check out the workshops at Aquila Glass School and at
Bullseye:
http://www.aquilaglassschool.com/class_description.htm
http://www.bullseyeglass.com/education/class_schedule.php
I am sure you can connect with someone closer to home through
Warmglass.com, but if not, the Bullseye classes are a safe bet. A
basic starter fusing class should be enough to get you going with
cabs, and then you can explore the intricacies of possibility as you
progress.
Good luck and have fun!
Kalera
www.beadwife.com